NY Climate Tech: October 17 - October 23
7 million trees up above, coastal resiliency down below, and everything in between
Hi all,
It was fabulous to host our largest meetup yet during Climate Week, and we’re excited to continue the momentum. Come join us for the NY Climate Meetup next Thursday, Oct 27th in Madison Square Park for our final outdoor meetup before winter sets in. (And RSVP to find out about alternate locations in case of rain - the weather is fickle these days!)
Start off this week tonight by dialing into to an info session on sustainable zoning from the NYC government. Tomorrow, keep learning about the city’s climate response at the Building Energy Exchange or head to the Grey Mare for a panel on the environmental impact of SCOTUS decisions & the IRA. On Wednesday, head to Brooklyn Bridge Park for Green Drinks Brooklyn, midtown for GreenHomeNYC’s monthly forum on Grassroots Retrofits, or SoHo for a panel on sustainable fashion with panelists from Armando Cabral, Eileen Fisher, and Faherty.
On Thursday, you’ll have your pick of events, from a documentary on The Great Green Wall, to a panel on the IRA, to a session on AI for Climate Science, to the Women and Climate Dinner, to the Urban Future Summit. On Friday, get dramatic with a talk on climate and the performing arts. Start your weekend with a panel on sustainability in architecture and a discussion on climate change, then go to Newlab’s Annual Open House. Wrap up with a Sandy + 10 boat tour on nature-based resiliency efforts on NYC’s 520 miles of coastline and say hi to Sonam!
A few upcoming events to highlight: if you have the time and budget, definitely check out the SCNY Urban Tech summit at Cornell Tech on Roosevelt Island: it’s 2 days of panels, keynote addresses, fireside chats, and climate action workshops. Use NYCLIMATECHAMPS for a $250 discount.
Also check out the Activate Fellowship Application (deadline Mon, Oct 31), the Converge on Climate conference on Fri, Nov 4, and DERTfest on Thu, Nov 10.
There’s no shortage of events, funding, and opportunities as we roll into an exciting fall with the NY Climate Tech community!
Cheers,
Alec and Sonam
Hot Take: Do look up!
The Alley Pond Giant in Queens, standing tall as NYC’s tallest tree at a whopping 134 ft!
You might not believe it, but New York City has over 7 million trees, hundreds of acres of woodlands, and miles of trails scattered across the 5 boroughs!
This weekend marked the first celebration of its kind to educate New Yorkers about the incredible biodiversity in our city. City of Forest Day, brought on by Forest for All NYC, Parks and Open Space Partners NYC, and the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation, showcased over 50 events under the bright, beautiful canopies we’re lucky to have above.
A healthy urban forest is essential for a healthy city - providing critical habitat for wildlife, cleaning our air and water, cooling our neighborhoods, and improving our health and wellbeing.
Some fun facts:
Number of trees in New York City: 7 million
Number of trees on New York City streets: 592,130
Acres of urban tree canopy: 44,509 acres
Percent of land covered in trees: 24%
Replacement value of total tree population: $5.2 billion
For every $1 invested, New York street trees return $5.60 in benefits
Annual pollution removal: 2,202 tons
Annual carbon storage: 1.35 million tons
Annual stormwater capture: 890 million gallons
Number of tree species: 168
Standing trunk to trunk, New York City street trees would form a line 118 miles long–the distance from Manhattan to Hartford.
Spaced 25 feet apart, New York City street trees would stretch more than 2,800 miles–all the way to Las Vegas.
So the next time you’re out and about, try to climb up the city’s tallest tree, a Tulip Tree standing 134 ft tall at Alley Pond Park in Queens, or unleash your tree hugger instincts and wrap your arms around the city’s widest tree, all 144 inches of the American Hornbeam at Prospect Park in Brooklyn. And do look up!
By Sonam Velani
This Week
🎨 Art, Time, Climate, Crisis: Mon, Oct 17
🌇 Climate Mobilization Act Primer - Building Energy Exchange: Tue, Oct 18
🏛 Environmental Impact of Recent SCOTUS Decisions & the IRA: Tue, Oct 18
🍻 Green Drinks Brooklyn: Wed, Oct 19
🏡 Monthly Forum - Grassroots Retrofits: Wed, Oct 19
👢 Propel: Sustainable Fashion for Fashion Professionals: Wed, Oct 19
💚 The Great Green Wall - Being in the World Festival: Thu, Oct 20
🔌 YPE NYC: Inflation Reduction Act E-Mobility Panel: Thu, Oct 20
🤖 Explainable AI for Climate Science: Thu, Oct 20
🏙 Urban Future Summit 2022: Thu, Oct 20
👩🔬 Women and Climate NYC October Dinner: Thu, Oct 20
🎭 Impossible Ideas for a Small Planet: Fri, Oct 21
🎉 Newlab's Annual Open House Party 2022: Sat, Oct 22
🌎 A Discussion on Climate Change: Sat, Oct 22
🏢 Sustainability in Architecture – Contemporary Examples: Sat, Oct 22
⛵️ Sandy + 10: Living Breakwaters by Boat: Sun, Oct 23
Next Week
Sustainability 101 (All-Day In-Person): Mon, Oct 24
SCNY Urban Tech Summit at Cornell Tech: Mon, Oct 24 and Tue, Oct 25
SOSV Climate Tech Summit: Tue, Oct 25 and Wed, Oct 26
WISE Networking Lunch - Building Energy Exchange: Tue, Oct 25
The Journey of a Story: An Exhibit & Networking Event by The Uproot Project: Wed, Oct 26
NY Climate Tech Meetup: Thu, Oct 27
Bigger Than Us - Being in the World Festival: Thu, Oct 27
SANDY+10 - Resilience, Equity, Climate Justice: Fri, Oct 28
Fall Clean Up & Connect: Sat, Oct 29
For the Early Birds
Activate Fellowship Application Deadline: Mon, Oct 31
Converge on Climate: Fri, Nov 4
DERTfest: Thu, Nov 10
🎨 Art, Time, Climate, Crisis: A Talk by Visiting Scholar Marcus Quent
When: Mon, October 17, 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Where: SVA, 133 West 21st Street, Room 101C, New York, NY 10011
BFA Visual & Critical Studies and the SVA Honors Program present a talk by visiting scholar Marcus Quent. – The last four decades have confronted us with the “end of history” in different ways. There was Fukuyama’s affirmative “end of history” nurturing the optimistic belief that the sense of history will realize or fulfill itself in the global proliferation of liberal-democratic societies. There was the postmodern farewell to “grand narratives” as another “end of history,” alternatively welcomed as a disengagement from false totalizations or criticized for denoting a lack of historical sensibility.
🌇 Climate Mobilization Act Primer - Building Energy Exchange
When: Tue, October 18, 1:00PM - 2:00PM
Where: Virtual
Get informed on New York City climate legislation and its impact on buildings. Register now for the Climate Mobilization Act Primer, a one-hour seminar examining the basic principles of the Climate Mobilization Act and offering actionable guidance for building decision makers.
🏛 The Environmental Impact of Recent SCOTUS Decisions and the IRA
When: Tue, October 18, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Where: The Gray Mare, 61 2nd Avenue, New York, NY 10003
Panelists will discuss the practical impacts of cases decided during the last Supreme Court term—in particular, West Virginia v. EPA—and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) on environmental policy, climate change mitigation, and environmental justice efforts in the US. The panel will be aimed at individuals who do not work in the legal field, and who may have read about recent Supreme Court cases and the IRA in the news but are unfamiliar with what they actually mean for environmental and climate change policy. Speakers will also address the likely impact of these cases on vulnerable communities in the US, who often suffer the worst impacts of climate change and natural disasters, as well as ways to mitigate these impacts.
🍻 Green Drinks Brooklyn
When: Wed, October 19, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM EDT
Where: Estuary Brasserie & Bar, 159 Bridge Park Drive, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Is your work related to the environment or sustainability? Are you interested in sustainability or environmental issues. Do you want to meet some like minded folks and share your thoughts and passion. Come down to Estuary at ONE15 Brooklyn Marina for Happy Hour drinks. We'll have a few folks introduce themselves and their work.
Get a group together and grab dinner at the community table afterwards
Ramon Cruz, Sierra Club
Marcella Mullholland, Data for Progress
Luz Claudio, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai on “The Exposome: a New Old Model for Health. A New Paradigm for the Environment and Health"
Isatis Cintron, Director, Climate Trace Puerto Rico promoting climate justice and public participation in climate decision-making.
🏡 Monthly Forum - Grassroots Retrofits
When: Wed, October 19, 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Where: Fujitsu Airstage, 1450 Broadway, 42nd floor, New York, NY 10018
Join GreenHomeNYC at this month's Forums event for an in-person panel discussion + Q&A with professionals who work in building sustainability. In addition to the forum, our monthly volunteer orientation will take place right before the event, starting at 6p. If you're interested in joining GreenHomeNYC as a volunteer, please review opportunities on our website, and register for a monthly orientation on Eventbrite.
👢 Propel: Sustainable Fashion for Fashion Professionals
When: Wed, October 19, 2022, 6:30 PM – 9:30 PM
Where: Arlo SoHo 231 Hudson Street New York, NY 10013
Join us at Arlo SoHo for an evening of candid, practical conversation around changing the impact of the fashion industry, followed by networking with fellow fashion executives in sourcing, design, production, and sustainability.
Armando Cabral - Founder, Armando Cabral footwear
Carmen Gama - Director of Circular Design, Eileen Fisher
Lisa Diegel - Director of Global Sustainability, Faherty Brand
💚 The Great Green Wall - Being in the World Festival
When: Thu, October 20, 7:00 PM – 9:30 PM
Where: Cowin Auditorium, Teachers College, Broadway and 120th Street, New York, NY 10027
The effects of climate change on Africa’s Sahel region are devastating: desertification, famine, conflict and migration. Yet some hope lies in the Great Green Wall, an ambitious reforestation project spanning the continent aimed at revitalizing ecosystems and restoring economies. In this story of resilience and self-determination executive produced by Fernando Meirelles, Malian musician/activist Inna Modja journeys from Senegal to Djibouti gathering stories and sharing songs with those on the frontline of the fight to save their land and their ways of life.
🔌 YPE NYC: Inflation Reduction Act E-Mobility Panel
When: Thu, October 20, 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Where: West Monroe Office, 825 8th Ave, 17th Floor New York, NY 10019
Please join YPE NYC and West Monroe for an in-person panel and networking to discuss the Inflation Reduction Act and its implications on e-mobility. This event will feature a panel of industry leaders from a diverse set of sectors: utility, law, government, and private partnerships. Drinks and light bites are included! Please note that space is limited, so we encourage you to register early.
🤖 Explainable AI for Climate Science: Detection, Prediction and Discovery
When: Thu, October 20, 3:00 PM
Where: Virtual or Columbia Innovation Hub, 2276 12th Avenue, Room 202, New York, NY 10027
Earth’s climate is chaotic and noisy. Finding usable signals amidst all of the noise can be challenging: be it predicting if it will rain, knowing which direction a hurricane will go, understanding the implications of melting Arctic ice, or detecting the impacts of human-induced climate warming. Here, I will demonstrate how explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) techniques can sift through vast amounts of climate data and push the bounds of scientific discovery.
🏙 Urban Future Summit 2022
When: Thu, October 20, 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Where: Building Energy Exchange, 31 Chambers Street, Room 609, New York, NY 10007
The Urban Future Summit is the culmination of the Urban Future Prize Competition. This annual competition, hosted by the Urban Future Lab and sponsored by The New York Community Trust and MUFG, seeks to find up-and-coming climate tech startups and to award two $50k non-dilutive prizes. At this year’s Summit, we will announce the 2022 finalists and winners, feature a retrospective showcase of a select group of Urban Future Prize winners and finalists from the last six years, and highlight our work with Nos Quedamos, a Bronx-based Climate Justice organization.
👩🔬 Women and Climate NYC October Dinner
When: Thu, October 20, 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Where: Beyond Sushi, 134 West 37th Street, New York, NY 10018
If you are looking for an opportunity to talk climate with professionals identifying as women, you are in the right place! No climate experience necessary. Our dinners are a fun way to make new friends and chat about all topics with the backdrop of climate.
🎭 Impossible Ideas for a Small Planet
When: Fri, October 21, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Where: Barnard College, 3009 Broadway New York, NY 10027
On Friday, October 21, join Sandra Goldmark of Barnard College and the Columbia Climate School for a discussion on climate and the performing arts. This talk will be recorded on stage at the Barnard College Department of Theatre (on a sustainably designed set by guest designer Anna Driftmier for Pirandello Project), and shared as a keynote address for the Taipei National University of the Arts 40th Anniversary Forum: Art and Sustainability. Drawing from Sandra's own career as a theatrical designer and the work of colleagues in Barnard theatre, this speech will discuss how to bring climate science and activism into our work in the theatre, and how to bring the skills and practices of theatre to the world stage of climate.
🎉 Newlab's Annual Open House Party 2022
When: Sat, October 22, 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Where: Newlab, 19 Morris Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11205
It's been three years since our last gathering, and we've missed you! We're welcoming everyone back for our biggest Annual Party yet — and we can't wait to see you. Join us at Newlab for an evening of member open studios, art + tech installations, food stands, open bar, and live music and performances. Everyone is welcome. RSVP and bring your friends!
🌎 A Discussion on Climate Change
When: Sat, October 22, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Where: 111 East 87th Street, New York, NY 10128
Join guest speaker Sara Gronim as she discusses climate change and practical ways to make a positive impact in our New York communities. Sara Gronim is a retired environmental history professor operating as the lead specialist for the Legislation Committee at the 350 Organization. The organization focuses on education and legislative outreach pertaining to climate crisis.
🏢 Sustainability in Architecture – Contemporary Examples from Practitioners
When: Sat, October 22, 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Where: 1014 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10028
How can we reduce the environmental footprint when renovating existing buildings? We’ve gathered experts from the Architecture and Engineering field to present us with their latest projects and case studies at 1014 Fifth Avenue – a building that serves as a reference point itself, as its zero-carbon renovation is currently in the making.
⛵️ Sandy + 10: Living Breakwaters by Boat
When: Sun, October 23, 3:00 PM – 5:30 PM
Where: Hudson River Park between West 42nd and 43rd Streets, New York, NY 10036
Ten years ago, Superstorm Sandy devastated the entire tri-state region, taking 44 lives, displacing over 90,000 people, and flooding 17% of New York City. Tottenville, a community on the South Shore of Staten Island once known as “the town the oyster built,” was hit particularly hard. As an outcome of the post-Sandy HUD competition Rebuild By Design, a team led by SCAPE developed the concept for Living Breakwaters—a series of near-shore breakwaters encrusted with oyster reefs—now being built by the New York State Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery in Raritan Bay just off the coast of Conference House Park. Today, the project is internationally recognized as a model for climate-adaptive nature-based infrastructure.
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Volunteer
We're excited to grow the Climate Tech community in cities across the globe - starting right here in our hometown of New York! 🗽 What started as an 8-person mid-pandemic outdoor dinner has since morphed into a 2,500+ strong and ever-growing group of rockstars trying to change the world. We're looking for volunteers to help us expand our programming into a full roster of community-wide meetups, subject-specific events, mentorship programs, site visits, and more. We aim to be a community resource - built for and by our community. Share your thoughts and we look forward to working with you!